Today we celebrate Lewistown's
annual Chokecherry Festival. Said
event lauds our beloved regional
Chokecherry and it's offspring.
Said orb is about seventy percent
pit - thirty percent rich, tart, and
flavorful flesh. After one picks a
bushel your options for using them
are fairly limited. Either squish or
boil them to yield juice. Soon it's
jelly, jam, or syrup. From that you
can whip up all sorts of culinary
concoctions. How yummy is that?
Today Main Street is closed from
First to Eighth Avenues plus many
blocks on both sides. All are lined
with booths featuring art, goodies,
handcrafts, produce, and bargains.
Thousands come from all over to
visit our fair city today. After all,
what could be better than strolling
what what's been sited as one of the
prettiest downtowns in Montana?
Just looking up is akin to taking a
historical architecture tour! And if
you like, join the Chokecherry run!
Most important - make sure you stop
by the Lewistown Art Center. This
venerable group has been supporting
the arts since the early seventies. At
9 a.m. you can watch judges pick the
best edible entries in the Chokecherry
Culinary Contest. At 3 p.m. there will
be a drawing for an amazing stallion
sculpture by Bill Ryder. All you have
to do is join the Art Center to get one
chance per $50 donation! So stop by
for free nibbles, great art, and maybe
a horse of a different color! Giddyup!
I can't help but get a bit choked up about
Lewistown. This lovely place has truly
become my "home". And while nothing
is every perfect, I'm perfectly happy in
the heart of Montana. Do you dream of
escaping? Of running away to nirvana?
Well for me this place is just that. After
years of fighting daily in major cities all
across the United States - I was rather
burned out. Now we live in a beautiful
place with fabulous people for almost
nothing. Now tell me... isn't that just
possibly the deal of a lifetime!?
So often we sacrifice our hopes and
dreams with compromise. Rather than
risk getting everything we want many
accept less. Talk about a raw deal!
Why would one ever limit the scope
of their fulfillment? Even if one fails
in the race to happiness - at least they
had the thrill of going for the gold. If
you're not happy - then do something
about it. Thirty years ago I'd no idea
that Montana would be where I'm my
happiest. You don't know what you're
missing until you see it. Hit the road!